


Stick Around

by limelester



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, M/M, Pastel Dan, Phanfiction, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-06-05 19:58:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6720838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limelester/pseuds/limelester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil's spent every summer of his high school career picking up guys to have his way with, just to drop them before the real school year starts. He's earned himself a reputation as a brooding heart breaker, and the summer before his senior year was to be no different. A tall, pastel boy named Dan who doesn't like when people stare at him becomes Phil's next target. It's always been a game of one and done for Phil, but this summer he might have gotten more than he bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He got there late, as usual. Being tardy was part of the reason he was there in the first place. He slid into a cold desk seat, and started to pick at his thumbs. Another kid came in late seconds later.   
The teacher took roll. Phil responded with a sullen grunt to his name. Next she rattled off some lecture about how she wasn't going to let anyone slip by this summer, and how they'd all have to put in the work. She then went back behind her desk, and continued to "check her email." Phil knew better than to heed Ms. Mayberry's words, and got to work.   
It was time to narrow them down. His feet hit the desk, and some people jumped. He made note of them. He leaned back in his chair, and even less looked alarmed, most of them not caring in the least bit if he'd fall back and crack his skull. Final round. He slowly brought his knuckles together and cracked each and every one, dragging the horrid sounds out. A few rolled their eyes and looked away, but one stayed. He cracked his last finger, and then Phil knew which one it would be.   
Next to the window to his far left and almost at the back of the class, a timid boy with chocolate hair just couldn't ignore the distractions. He'd look up from whatever work he was trying to busy himself with every time Phil moved.   
He bounced up from his seat, stretching out all 6 feet and 2 inches of his height for all it was worth, and strolled to the back left of the classroom. Phil's smirk was hard to hide as he noticed how hard the boy was trying not to look at him. He threw his backpack heavily onto the desk directly in front of the boy, and plopped into its connecting chair backwards to face him. The boy jumped at the clatter. Phil clasped his fingers and watched him directly, inches away from the hair he saw earlier. It smelled nice from up close. Phil started to notice other things about this kid too. His light pink sweater clung to him gently, and his faded black skinny jeans were worn very well.   
"You're in for lit then?"  
He tried to ignore him, but Phil didn't miss the single tick the boys head gave, mostly because a white flower wavered from the crown that lined his hair.   
"Ooo, thesis statements. Spicy."  
Phil had to admit, the boy was doing a better job that he'd expected.   
He yanked the paper out from the boy's fragile arms. A stray pencil mark was made from the jolt.   
"Give it back or do it for me."  
Phil's head tilted to the side as he examined the work that was done. The handwriting was neat, curly, and mostly wrong.   
"I'd love to do it for you, but unfortunately I didn't pay any attention in 11th year lit."   
"I'm not surprised."  
The retort came quick, and threw Phil off guard.   
"So..." He scanned the paper. "You don't believe in putting your name on your work?"  
Brown Hair grabbed the paper back and scribbled down a name.   
"Dan. Very pretty. Suits your looks."  
If Phil wasn't wrong, he saw the boy's cheeks blush and his eyes widen.   
"It's Phil, by the way."  
He still didn't respond. Time to drop the subtly.   
He leaned close to Dan, so that the other boy could smell his cologne and his soft black fringe would gingerly graze his forehead.   
"I've got a thesis statement for you..." He whispered   
"What." Dan responded through gritted teeth.   
"You're the cutest thing I've seen around here in awhile."  
Dan couldn't hold in the small gasp that escaped his mouth.   
"Excuse me?" He looked around hurriedly, like he was afraid Phil would draw attention to them.   
Phil reached up to the other's ear and lightly pushed a piece of brown fringe in place. "And pink is my favorite color."  
Dan dropped his pencil and his jaw. Unfortunately, Phil was too quick, and he snatched it up before Dan could.  
"Ah ah ah.." He taunted   
"Look asshole, I've gotta... Finish my lit..." He stumbled. Phil was biting his lip (on purpose) and 87% of Dan's vocabulary was so offended by the sight that it just left his brain.   
"If you want it back, I have a few conditions."  
"Oh.. Like what?"  
This was it. Phil had him.   
"You talk to me for the rest of the day... And do me the pleasure of continuing to be pretty."   
"Fine." He took his pencil back and shoved his lit work back into his bag. "Just be quiet okay. People have started staring."  
"Ha! Let them."  
"Shhhh!"  
"Fine."  
"What do you want to talk about?"

////

They spent the next 3 hours flirting. Dan found that his usually strong resolve to not give in to hot guys with questionable motives completely crumbled when it came to this Phil character, and to be honest he didn't mind watching his lips move for a few hours, as they were very inviting.   
He got more comfortable with the playful talking after a bit and was fueled just as much by Phil's confidence as he was.   
Phil, however, was just confident due to excitement. After 3 consecutive years of picking up short term lovers in summer school, Dan was far above the rest. He bet that no one ever expected him to pick up one that was so pretty. And wearing a pink sweater even! Flowers in his hair! People would get a kick out of this year's selection. He didn't know why he'd never seen him around before, because if he had he'd have noticed those eyes. They were endless pools of caramel coffee. His laugh and words were just as warm and supple as the coffee in his eyes. This would definitely be a fun one.   
In the time they spent conversing, Phil had learned some valuable information about Dan. He was shy, the cute kind of shy. He didn't want to go to college, just like Phil. He wore something pastel every single day. It was very easy to make him blush. The most important of these things, Phil thought, was that Dan was definitely into boys.   
The bell rang at 12:00 for lunch break. Dan gave a sudden and frightened jolt, looking genuinely scared for a second. Phil had to hold back laughter. Neither of them was sure how that much time had already passed.   
Dan picked up his bag and began to sling it over his shoulder.   
"No." Phil grabbed it and slung it over his own bag. "Let me."  
He blushed again, and as they left the classroom and made their way down the hall, Phil let his hand brush Dan's exactly 3 times before he gently took hold of the others fingers and laced his own into them. Phil knew guys go crazy for such sweet gestures happening all the sudden. It was his finest craft work. Dan's hands were cold, but not in an off-putting way. His fingers were slim and soft, and for some reason worked much better with Phil's own than the others had before. The 'sudden hand holding' step was usually one of his least favorites, but he didn't mind this one a bit.   
They turned the corner and merged with a large crowd of kids, and Phil felt the hand wrapped around his tighten instinctively. He decided to even out his awkward confusion.   
"So. You moved here from Newcastle last month? What's the appeal of Manchester?"   
Dan shrugged, his shoulders tense and his eyes darting everywhere. "Parents got relocated for work. The usual. It's really not that exciting."  
Phil leaned just a bit closer to him. "I have a feeling everything about you is more exciting than you'll lead me to believe."  
Dan smiled, eyes still fixed to the tight crowd around him. "What about you then? Why are you here?"  
"I'm bad at English and geography, remember?"  
"You said you'd been coming to summer school the last 3 years, and I don't see any reason why you'd want to stay here. Why don't you get your grades up?"  
Phil laughed inside himself. A snarky one apparently.   
"There's some fun to be had here you know. It's not all just make up work and dropouts."  
They turned the corner into the lunch hall. Even though there were less people here than there were during the regular year, there were still too many in Phil's opinion. He didn't like any of them much either.   
Dan's hand dropped from Phil's.   
He looked over to see his eyes widen and his fair skin just go sickly pale.   
"Dan? You okay?"  
He didn't respond, but now they were standing directly in the doorway. People were pushing them left and right, and they started to get separated. Phil flat out shoved a few people. Didn't they see them standing there? What the hell?  
He got to Dan to find him standing up against the wall looking like he was going to pass out. He took his hand again and drug him to the side of the room where there weren't any people.   
Dan's breathing was quick and audible.   
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"  
Dan looked in his eyes and suddenly buried himself inside Phil's dark flannel. Phil felt overly awkward and confused. A few people stared. This wasn't turning out like he'd planned.   
Dan's head moved up a bit towards his ear. "There's so many people."  
"I thought you came from Newcastle, their school districts are so much bigger than this one?"  
"I went to a private high school with 600 people. They're all looking at me."  
"They're not looking. I promise."  
Well, they hadn't been when they walked in.  
"They're looking at my sweater and my flowers and they're thinking I'm a girl or some disturbed retard."  
A light clicked on in Phil's head. A girl in his class once moved schools because she couldn't take being around large crowds of people. He always felt bad for her. She'd have panicked reactions to it, he even remembered her being diagnosed with something. Was Dan like her?   
Phil tried to think quick on how to comfort him. "No, if they're looking at you at all, they're thinking about how nice your sweater hangs on your shoulders or how precious your dimple is or wondering how nice you smell, which I'll tell them is very nice actually..." Phil was rambling and he knew it, but he didn't know any other way to make a guy feel nice other than mindlessly complimenting him.   
"Do you know if there's a table that's out of the way somewhere?"  
"Yeah.. Yeah there's one down the way to the right."  
Phil wrapped his arm around Dan's and connected their hands at the bottom, and Dan shrunk into Phil and hid behind him like a shield. Phil felt a heavy responsibility to protect him from the wandering eyes, even if they weren't there, just to help him out. They made it to the table in record time, and Dan sat facing away from the crowd and Phil took a seat so close to them that their whole legs were touching. He began to stroke Dan's hand to calm him down, but when he looked at his hand actually touching the other boys for the first time, his chest felt funny.   
'Focus Phil' he thought, 'he's having an anxiety attack, Jesus get it together.' That's what it was she had, crowd anxiety.   
"Do you want any food?"  
Dan side eyed the counters on the other side of the hoard of people. "I can stand to go without."  
Phil couldn't just let him starve. He had to get some food in him. It was lunch after all.   
He reached into his own bag and pulled out his emergency snack- a thin fruit filled pastry crisp package. He handed it to Dan.   
"What's this?"  
"They're really good. It's strawberry in the inside and it's got graham cracker crust and icing on the top. Please try it at least."  
Dan opened the package with shaky hands, and nibbled on the side of the crisp. His eyes lit up, and he took another small bite. Slowly, the color began to return to his cheeks as he ate faster.   
"You like it?" Phil ask, genuinely hoping he did.   
"These are amazing. Where did you get them?"  
"Just the store..."  
He had them finished already. He looked away from Phil's eyes.   
"Thank you. You didn't have to do that but thank you."  
"Don't worry a bit."  
Phil suddenly realized his heart was slowing down. Why had it been fast? His face felt warm all the sudden. Was he... Blushing? No. Phil Lester didn't blush. He made others do that.   
"I'm sorry I freaked out earlier, I really tried to hold it together. You shouldn't have had to do all that."  
"It's okay, really. I didn't know you went to a small school."  
He sighed. Phil could see a past memory surfacing in his eyes.   
"Yeah my.. Parents. They put me at a private catholic school for the beginning of my life because I couldn't take being around so many kids at public. It's just the crowds... I'm fine one on one with people but when there's lots, everything goes blurry."  
Why was he sharing all this with Phil? It's like his filter had been ripped out for the last 3 hours.   
"Well whenever we're in the halls and stuff, if you want to walk with me, just ask. If it helps at all. Or not. Whatever."  
Dan smiled. "Thanks."  
They sat mostly in silence and watched others around them. Phil had long since dropped his hand, now quite unsure about just taking it so rudely like he had earlier.  
The bell came a bit later, and they waited an extra minute to let the lunch room empty about half way before they stood and made their way back to their classroom.   
Dan curled his pinky finger around Phil's in the hall, and held tight to it. Phil found himself subconsciously leading so that people would part in front of them.   
He couldn't believe he'd just barged over to Dan like that. He could have really scared him. He made a mental note to be more docile in the future.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the day passed in a flash. Dan relaxed while talking about some of his adventures in private school, and the most hilarious shenanigans he remembered his friends getting up to. Phil laughed quite a lot, his chest lightening at seeing Dan's anxiety subside a little, and was entranced by his knack for storytelling. At one point, Phil found himself leaning on his hand, listened to Dan's vivid tales with a gaping mouth. All the sudden he realized he had no idea what was going on in the story, but he knew where Dan's squishy cheeks ended and his harrowing cheek bones began. Also, he knew the placement of a slightly illusive freckle (lower right jaw line,) and which pieces of fringe moved the most when he talked excitedly. He found himself embarrassed at how close he had come to reaching up and pushing them back into place now and then. Phil felt more comfortable than he had this morning when he was trying so hard to be suave.   
'What the hell are you even thinking? He's talking to you!'  
Phil snapped back to attention to hear about an interesting encounter Dan's friend Tom had with a peacock once.

The bell came sooner than Phil wanted. The bell meant he had to leave. He started getting up as slowly as he could, before Dan delivered the most relieving words he'd spoken all day.   
"You wanna trade numbers?"  
"Of course!"  
Phil whipped open his phone and took it to the new contact screen for Dan. They traded devices.   
Phil typed in his name and number, and almost gave the phone back before adding the purple pixel guy emoji.   
"Thanks"  
Phil examined Dan's work and found a pink bow next to his name.   
"I see you're an emoji in the contact person too," Dan noticed aloud   
"Oh, yeah. Sure."  
Phil usually didn't put his favorite emoji next to his contact name because it kind of killed his bad ass vibe. He felt that Dan would find it funny though. He was right.   
"I gotta make it to the bus. Do you ride too?"  
Phil nodded. "Walk that way with me?"  
"If you don't mind," Dan added quieter.   
"Of course not."  
Dan initiated their pinky holding again this time, but Phil was kind of hoping he would from the second they had started to walk.   
Dan was hoping that by some magical chance they happened to have the same bus, but alas, the world isn't that kind.   
They released pinkies when saying their goodbyes, and it got a bit awkward for a moment when they were both trying to decide if they could hug the other one.   
"Well, I'll text you," Dan said   
"I'll be waiting for it." Phil joked a bit too seriously.   
They turned and walked off at the same time, but Phil looked back to see Dan lower his head and tense up more with every step he took.

Phil took a seat near the front. Almost every kid wants to sit at the back of the bus, which Phil found to be a good way to get some privacy as he sat down and opened his phone and waited for a pink bow to show up on a message notification. It didn't come as quickly as he'd wanted, which gave him some time to start questioning everything about the day.   
'You usually end the first day with a kiss on the cheek! You couldn't even hug him! What the fuck!'  
'You'd scare him off with that! You almost did this morning, prancing over and slamming your backpack around!'  
'Pinkies?? PINKIES?? What happened to rubbing circles in his hands by the end of lunch? Have you lost your game?'  
'Why do you like him so much?'  
'You got so protective of him so fast, how interesting!'   
The various corners of his mind questioned and drug out every single thing that he didn't understand about the day. He didn't have an answer for any of them.   
'What do you mean he has crowd anxiety? He doesn't deserve that!'  
'How do you know? You're basing this opinion of him off one day of flirting with him and getting what I think is WAY too wrapped up in his life.'  
'The genius of taking them the first day and leaving them by the end of the month is that you don't have to get attached like they do and I'm pretty sure you were more shaky than you made him.'  
'I mean we started off pretty well this morning, we had him right flustered'   
'You were rude is what you were.'  
''Flustered' sounds like you when you saw that cute ass pink bow next to his name. When did we start having a thing for pretty flower boys again?'   
Speak, or rather think of the devil. Phil's phone buzzed and drug him out of his own warring thoughts.

Dan: hey there

Phil: took you long enough.

Dan: I had to get my window opened! it smells awful in here.

Phil: get used to it. that's how they all are.

Dan: I can't get used to it when I was smelling much nicer things all day.

Phil's breath caught. He was flirting with him again. He had to remind himself to breathe and think through things before he got too flustered. He'd fire back just the same.

Phil: flowers smell so nice, don't they?

He sent it before he realized how weak of an attempt that was. What the hell. He was trying to compliment his flower crown but it just came off awkward. Dammit Phil.

Dan: that's why I like wearing them. they're pretty, like you.

Thank god he'd caught on. Wait did he just say Phil was prettier than a flower?  
He felt his cheeks go as red as the rose whose beauty he supposedly shunned. He was really glad he's picked a desolate part of the bus.

////

They had finally stopped texting around 11:20 something. Dan had mentioned how tired he was a few minutes prior, and the typos became more frequent before the texts stopped altogether. Phil laid on his stomach in the dark staring at his screen, his eyes burning but his mind too excited to care. He thought of Dan, asleep, wrapped up in a blanket, soft like his hair, the same hair that would be gently tousled and lying haphazardly across his eyelashes and almost unnoticeably freckled nose. Phil's heart melted. He was also pretty sure this was the first time he'd thought of a boy in bed without seeing him naked and underneath himself. It was strange, but not unpleasant.   
A notification ticked across his screen telling him that a new episode of haiku!! had come out. He clicked it excitedly and plugged in his earbuds. Karasuno was playing Nekoma in a practice match, but Kageyama was killing it like it was nationals. Suddenly, Daichi started getting more receives in and thus more screen time. His mind started to wander at the sight of Daichi's animated brown hair and sparkly eyes. He'd see Dan again tomorrow, and he needed to wear something nice. Maybe a black shirt and his thin, dark jacket that had studs on it over that?   
He missed a major hit and suddenly Hinata was in the floor and looking unhappy. He cursed himself for missing it and started to pay attention again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist putting some haiku!! in there as I am trash™ for that show. And we all know they enjoy it. It's just so *clenches fist* pure.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, he did end up wearing what he had thought up the night before. He got up a bit early so he could spend some extra time on his hair, just in case Dan found reason to run his fingers through it today. Just in case.   
The bus ride was long, but thankfully Dan texted him.

Dan: morning!

Phil: hey! did you sleep well?

Dan: oh, I fell asleep during our conversation didn't I? I'm so sorry!

Phil: it's okay. I'm glad you got your beauty sleep.

Finally he got in a good word. Ha. New day, new Phil. He'd take it back yet.

Dan: you stayed up later than me didn't you? bet it's because you don't even need the beauty sleep. ;)

Shit.  
Wait a moment- wait just a moment. Did Dan actually put a winky face? No. Phil couldn't actually be seeing this. It had to be a typo. Phil was always the first to use a winky face. How dare he.

Phil: couldn't have drifted off if I'd tried. too busy thinking about seeing you again.

Did he really just admit that??

Dan: so, thinking about me in the wee hours are we?

If he thought his face was red yesterday, it had nothing on it now. Thankfully, the bus was pulling to a stop so he didn't have to respond.   
He rushed into the building and down the halls just a bit too fast. He slipped and nearly fell on his face, messing up his fringe a bit. He turned a corner and strutted through the door, trying to look as put together as he could. He weaved between desks to the boy who was hunched over and silent in the back left of the room. When he was close enough, Dan opened up and beamed at Phil. His gaze changed as Phil sat in the seat in front of his own.   
"Looking a bit flustered, are we?"  
"Well, you know, I'm actually showing up on time, it...."  
He trailed off as his eyes drug across Dan's body. He was wearing a petite flower print t-shirt with a baby blue background and a matching flower crown. His jeans were white today, and his vans were a very light pink. He even thought he saw a trace of blush on those squishy cheeks that held smiles so well, which caused him to let out a small sound.   
"You know, you're the last person I'd expect to forget about the art of subtlety."   
Phil's words failed him.   
"I was.. You're... It's not.. I'm.."  
"..checking me out. I know. I look nice."  
Dan had a small smirk. Phil would never guess but he was very proud of himself for pulling that off. He could be snarky when he wasn't worried about everything around him. He quickly discovered how much he enjoyed seeing Phil, the badass he pretends to be, left speechless.   
The bell sounded, marking the beginning of the hour.   
"I've gotta start my lit." Phil whipped back around in his seat, cursing himself for using such an unbelievable excuse. He was truly losing it. 

Phil couldn't stand ignoring Dan for lit homework very long before they were back to it again. This time they were going through Phil's phone, playing his games and checking his Twitter feed. Dan appreciated that he had crossy road and laughed aloud when he found out how many animals and coins he'd earned.   
"What! It's a fun game!"  
Dan could hardly talk through laughs. "You play it so much!"   
"You think that's bad? You should check neko atsume."  
He did, and was immediately dumbfounded by the idea of dark clothed, brooding but secretly soft hearted Phil, hiding somewhere, on neko atsume, feeding his cats only the nicest tuna cans. He was still laughing when he looked up at Phil and found their faces closer than they had gotten before. There was a second or two of silence before Dan swallowed and ask what other apps he could go through.   
"I guess spotify," Phil replied, more shaky about this prospect than his games folder.   
Dan opened it and started going through his saved songs, recognizing things here and there. Suddenly he stopped and dropped his jaw.   
"Phil are you shitting me," Dan whispered   
"What?"   
"You have muse's entire discography in here."  
Phil's heart stopped. Dan knew muse?  
"Even the old stuff! Oh my god Phil I had no idea you were such a nerd."  
Phil went red. He had never told anyone about his music tastes before because of this exact reason.   
"Do you have your earbuds?"  
Phil was startled out of his worried thoughts by Dan's hurried request. He pulled them out of his tight jeans and handed them over. Soon, there was a bud thrust into his ear and one in Dan's.   
Phil watched as he put his chin in his hands and smiled with his whole face. His eyes closed and he swayed with the music. The start of Citizen Erased filled his right ear.

For one moment  
I wish you'd hold your stage  
With no feelings at all  
Open minded  
I'm sure I used to be so free

Dan returned to the world about halfway through. "This one's my favorite from origin of symmetry," he offered   
Phil smiled. "Mine too."  
The song changed to Falling Away With You. Dan looked excitedly to Phil, who just so happened to have a deep love of the song.

So I'll love whatever you become  
And forget the reckless things we've done  
I think our lives have just begun  
I think our lives have just begun

Dan glanced down at the desk to see Phil's arm lying near his own. He stole a calculated glance towards the floor as he inched his hand closer to Phil's. He was surprised Dan couldn't feel his pulse when their fingers skimmed and slowly wrapped together, as every nerve in his hand was alive. This could not have been more perfect.   
Dan took Phil's phone in his free hand, a blissful grin spreading his face. He looked through the rest of his music, noticing silently the stock of Troye Sivan among other great bands. He might use that later.   
He decided to go to Phil's Netflix app, making sure to keep the phone where he could see it, if he needed to stop Dan from seeming anything private. He went to his favorites list and found a recently watched show from the night prior.   
"Oh my god, you're into anime too?"  
"Don't tell anyone how much of a nerd I am."  
Dan chuckled. "What's it worth to ya?"  
Phil changed the subject. "Did you watch the new haiku!! episode last night?"   
Dan frowned. "Nope. Fell asleep, remember?"  
"It was a great one. You missed a lot."  
Dan paused and his eyes unfocused from the screen. He looked at Phil curiously.   
"I don't guess you'd wanna come over after school and re-watch it, would you?"  
Phil's heart rate went wild.   
"I mean I probably missed some stuff. I could watch it again."  
"Great!" Dan said before refocusing on the screen. He had just made a date with Phil, he couldn't believe it. It had only been two days, but he already knew he liked him a lot, and he felt oddly comfortable around him since he'd opened up. How cheesy did that sound?

The lunch bell interrupted their thoughts rudely once again. Phil decided he'd make carrying Dan's bag a habit, and he needed something to distract himself from their date plans anyways. He rushed for it before Dan could reach it, which led to them colliding quite forcefully. Phil reached out to steady Dan, who was nearly on the floor. They were cackling, to the point Dan felt tears in his eyes. They still hadn't been able to stop laughing as they turned a corner, pinkies connected, in the hallway and nearly ran into another kid.  
"Oh- I'm sorry I didn't-" Dan fumbled over his words and felt his head start to pond. Phil took Dan's whole hand and squeezed it to steady him.   
The kid stopped and looked them up and down.   
"Malcolm, hey!" Phil greeted when he recognized the boy.   
"Aye, Lester! Nice to see you got another one this year!" He started laughing to himself as he left, going right between them, pushing them apart.   
"What was that about?"  
Phil started to panic just a bit. This wasn't the time for Dan to find out how much of a shitbag Phil actually was.   
"I have no idea. Pretty sure the guys on acid, I wouldn't read too much into it."  
Dan seemed satisfied with that, and they continued on, but did not rejoin their pinkies.

////

By the time the final bell rang, they had listened to almost all the muse songs that existed and discussed the problems with the ending of death note thoroughly. They found that they shared almost every opinion and liked all the same obscure things the other did. What few things one liked but the other didn't were promised to be shared once they got home.   
They boarded Dan's bus together and sat in the front. That was Phil's suggestion. It was a beautiful day, and sunlight poured in the windows over them both, warming their skin. They scooted closer together than they probably needed to, but it was of course the only way they both could be fully in the sun.   
Dan's house was a decent size and had a million cute yard trinkets in the front. He sensed Phil observing the strange sights.   
"My mom's one of those people who couldn't resist a yard ornament if she tried."  
"I think they're cute," Phil added, "I like all the creepy metal frogs in your yard."  
Dan laughed as he opened the door. He led them down to the basement, all of which was his room.   
"Nice setup," Phil added, thoroughly impressed at the space and privacy.   
"Thanks. The parents are on the second floor, so I could empty a machine gun clip down here and they wouldn't have a clue."  
Phil set his backpack down behind Dan's.  
"Hey I'm gonna go upstairs and put some pizza rolls in the oven."  
"Oh, thanks."  
He took the moment of silence to look around.   
A queen size bed with black checkered sheets was set up to face the flat screen. Phil kicked off his shoes to feel the soft grey shag carpet. A high window shed some light across matte off-white walls. Small picture frames holding old memories freckled them, with sights from Newcastle back home and field trips and birthday parties and group selfies. One of those rocking gaming chairs with the speakers in them was set up in front of the TV. There were a few game consoles, and far too many games in neat stacks nearby. Phil was glad to know that Dan had similar taste. He spotted an open case on the floor, displaced from all the others. He squatted down and picked it up to read it. Mario kart 8. That nerd-  
"They'll take 16 minutes probably,"  
Phil dropped the case and jumped practically to the other side of the room just as Dan came off the last step.   
"It's less colorful in here than I'd expected," Phil noted aloud, hoping it covered for his obvious snooping.   
"Oh yeah, well. It kind of balances me out, this is the side of my aesthetic that's not loud. It's more calm and centered. Sorry, that sounded awfully pretentious."  
"It's nice," Phil added   
"Lemme show you around."  
He followed Dan through a short hallway that had three doors.   
"The door at the end is the bathroom if you need it. This one's the furnace room that also doubles as the gates of hell, wouldn't suggest going in. But here..."  
He opened the closest door to them and flipped on the light with a proud flourish.   
"...is my closet."  
Phil had never seen something so beautiful. It was a small walk in, with racks of pastel clothing, mostly delicate fabrics and a few detailed sweaters to his left and patterned shirts and leggings and skinny jeans to his right. Straight ahead was a dresser with drawers and shoe cubbies. There were vans and converse and flats and sandals, all very pastel and very Dan. There was even a cushioned blue bench in the middle of the room for changing.   
"It's all gorgeous."  
He ran his fingers across the hanging garments, and made his way to the shoes.   
"This place looks like tumblr threw up on it." Phil joked.  
Dan opened one of the drawers next to him, filled with socks of soft colors, some even lined with lace or embroidery.   
"This is my pride and joy."  
Phil chuckled. "I appreciate a guy who can take such pride in his sock collection."   
Dan blushed, and rushed to open a different one.   
"Your crowns!" Phil cried   
"There's so many!"  
He nodded   
"There's somewhere close to 30 I think."   
Phil was already pulling out a light blue one with woven weeds on the band, adorned with small roses. He tried to put it on gently but ended up snapping the elastic in his eye.   
"Ow!"  
Dan laughed. "Let me do it."  
He stretched the band and laid the flowered side just above the start of Phil's fringe. He stretched it around to the back and tucked it under the hair at the nape of his neck. He returned his focus to the front, and pulled a few hairs out of the band and positioned them around the roses. Phil didn't dare breathe.   
Dan fumbled for words. "You didn't really pick one that matches your outfit but it works well with the black in your hair."  
Dan silently cursed himself. Really? Telling him it looks bad with his outfit? Nice going.   
"I don't know how to pick them as well as you do I guess."  
The sweet compliment settled gently in Dan's mind.   
"Come look."  
He pulled him to the standing mirror in the corner and stood close enough that they were both in frame.   
"We match!" Phil laughed   
"Almost," Dan said while turning around to go through his shirts. He pulled a thin purple button up that was purposefully a size too big off a hanger and smiled.   
"Do you mind?"  
He took Phil's black jacket with the studs off slowly, being hyper aware of technically undressing him. Phil pulled on the purple button up. Dan gasped when it settled on him.   
"What, should I button it? It doesn't match the black undershirt does it?" He started to fumble with a button before Dan's hand rested on his own, and stopped him.   
"No, it matches really well. You look... Nice."  
Phil gave a little turn in the mirror before standing to admire Dan's work. "You did a nice job."  
He barely heard it, as his eyes were transfixed over Phil's body which had one of the best profiles he was sure he'd ever seen. The purple gave it a new depth that the black somehow shunned. He was unapologetically looking Phil up and down.   
"Like it, do you?"  
Dan's cheeks were red. He'd been caught. Luckily, Phil started to laugh, his hands landing on Dan's shoulders.   
Before he realized it, the laughter died and his fingers slid down and his arms moved to encircle Dan's waist with a light touch.   
They looked back in the mirror, actually looking at each-other's reflections, and their heads came to rest together. Phil felt like it was the perfect time to make a move, or do something, like he normally would, but this wasn't like anything else he'd done before. Dan wasn't like anyone else.   
He was still, and he felt his skin flaming at every place it touched Dan's, and he let himself be calm and content just being there.   
Suddenly, and without warning, a timer blared. Dan jumped out of his own skin, his skull slamming into Phil's nose.   
"Oh my god I'm so sorry! It's the pizza pockets. Do you need ice?"  
Phil's hand was over his nose and his head was reeling just a little. "No no, I'll be fine-"  
A stream of blood came down his top lip.   
"You're bleeding!"  
Phil's facade of calm dropped. "What do I do?!"  
"Tip your head up and pinch your nose."  
He did as he followed Dan back up the stairs to the main floor.   
"I can feel the blood running through my throat and it tickles."  
He started laughing.  
"No! I don't want to hear that!" Dan was laughing too, although the disgust with blood was real.   
"But it tickles!"  
They were both in giggle fits, and Dan raced to get the pizza pockets out before they burnt.   
"Here take this."  
He handed Phil a paper towel to wipe the blood and plug his nose. Within seconds, Dan was gently pressing ice to his face as well, scared of hurting him further.   
"I fink ith topped bleeding" Phil said through the towel plug in his nose.   
"I think you should keep that in and sound like that all the time."  
"Don'th lawgh af my paiun!"  
They were both in hysterics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a side thought about this that I couldn't work in so enjoy some bonus content!   
> Look Dan has approximately 1,347 sweaters in this closet. The boiler room is probably a second closet and he's just ashamed to tell Phil how many sweaters he actually has. I imagine he's got patterned ones and strange ones and even maybe some darker ones but shhhh no one needs to know he's only 98% pastel.   
> I might have some more side thoughts in the future. Hope you guys liked this one!


	4. Chapter 4

After disposing of the bloody towels and ice and cleaning some off the linoleum floor, they took their pizza pockets back downstairs.   
Dan moved the massive gaming chair so they could sit on the floor together. "Still wanna watch 'haiku!!'?"  
Phil remembered the Mario kart case and grinned. "Would you mind if we did that a little later?"  
"What did you have in mind instead?"  
Phil scooter over to the game stack where he had thrown the case earlier. He stuck it up to his face and smiled, knowing how cute he was.   
"Pllleeeaaase?"  
Dan laughed. "You have no idea how good I am."  
"I bet I'm better."  
"Do you now?"  
And so, the challenge was on. They both picked the fastest karts and wheels, neither of them backing down from the challenge.   
The race began.   
"Holy shit you're in first already?"  
Dan was too focused to respond.   
Phil stole a glance sideways, plotting his revenge. He jabbed out towards Dan's stomach, while his eyes were still fixed to the road. Dan's cart fishtailed and Phil overtook him.  
"You ass!"  
Dan didn't take long to swerve around and bring back the lead, as his skills were impressively advanced from Phil's.   
"Guess I'll have to try again!"  
This time, Phil went for the underside of the knee. A dirty move to say the least. Not only did Dan's kart flip off the track and have to be replaced, but he screamed so loudly Phil would have sworn he heard the walls shake.   
"You can't just go for the underside of the knee and not expect retaliation!"  
While still keeping his eyes fixed to the game, Dan moved quickly behind Phil, and clamped a hand across his eyes. Phil's kart wrecked within seconds.   
"Outrageous!"   
He squirmed out from Dan's grip and ran to the bed. Standing on the shaky memory foam, he overtook Dan's kart around a tight turn. Dan stood up and approached the TV, standing inches away from it.   
"Get your ASS out of my view!"  
"You like it!" Dan screamed   
Phil jumped down and grabbed the back of Dan's shirt with one hand, the other controlling a spinning kart. Dan fell to the ground.   
"Oh! Oh! OOOHHH!"  
Phil crossed the finish line inches in front of Dan. "I won!"  
"No! I won't believe it!"  
Phil thrust a finger out towards the screen and looked defiantly down to Dan who was a puddle in the floor.  
"It clearly says Phil!! 9th place! And what does it say next to Dan?"  
"You cheated!"  
"That's right! 10th place!"  
"I've had enough of this."  
Dan reached and his hand found Phil's jeans. He pulled, and the tall boy fell hard to the floor with a thud. Dan took the moment of vulnerability to dig his fingers deep into Phil's sides.   
"No! This isn't fair!"  
"You started it!"  
Phil couldn't breathe. He had to take it back. He unpinned his hands from his sides and pushed them straight into Dan's stomach.   
"No!"  
Phil pushed and flipped him over, now holding the upper hand. Dan tried kicking him off, but Phil held strong. His mind raced, his laughter turned into difficult breathing. He had to do something now, he couldn't lose a tickle war and Mario kart in the same day. He'd play dead.   
He let out a labored cough and went limp. It took everything he had not to react to Phil's prying and busy fingers in his sides. They began to slow. "Dan, are you dead or something?"  
He didn't respond.   
"Dan?"  
Phil stopped altogether and leaned towards him to check if he was still breathing. "Dan!"  
This was the time. His eyes snapped open and he overtook Phil, back on top. He went straight to work under his arms.   
"You faked death!"  
"You gave me no choice!"  
Phil's laughter was even louder now, and Dan found it contagious. His hands slowed and they laughed until tears streamed down their faces. Dan's head leant forward, and he let Phil's arms go.   
"I guess I won...."  
He stopped when he found Phil staring straight back up at him, their faces inches apart. Phil only had to whisper for Dan to hear him.   
"I'll let you have that one, since you sucked so bad at Mario kart."  
Phil's heart was hardly beating. He felt dizzy. Dan was so close, his nose was drowned with his warm smell. He was so pretty, his fringe hung down from his eyes, and the contour of his face was perfectly illuminated by the light around them. His eyes pierced into Phil, but were still inviting and kind. Had he been standing, he would have been weak at the knees from seeing Dan's face glow like this.   
Phil saw something change in his expression.   
"What?"  
"Would you... Would you mind if I.. Tried something?" He stuttered   
"Like what?" Phil teased, knowing full well and being grateful for what was coming.   
"Like this."  
Dan leaned down slowly, trying to muster the bravery to close the gap. It was the longest 3 seconds of Phil's life, but more than worth it once they connected.   
For what might have been the first time ever, Phil couldn't think of a single thing to say. He was busy making sure to keep up with Dan's lips, which worked deliberately and softly. His arms floated up to Dan's back, pulling them closer together. Dan slowed down and hovered just above Phil's face, and his eyes opened slowly and spread with his smile. Phil's teeth shined in the sunlight around them, and they breathed together, only being alive for each other in that single moment. Dan leaned forward again and left one last kiss on Phil's lips before he slid to the side and propped himself in the crook of Phil's arm. He wrapped himself around Phil and felt the rise and fall of his chest.   
Phil couldn't help but feel all the exhilaration of earlier leave him and be replaced with a new bliss as he wrapped his arm around Dan's back.   
"That was nice." He whispered   
"Yeah it was..." Phil cooed   
"Except you still kind of tasted like pizza pockets."  
Phil felt his own laughter rattle Dan's fragile frame beside him.   
"You too. But I love pizza pockets."  
"It's a good thing I picked the right snack then, isn't it?"  
Phil reached down and arranged Dan's hair, which had gotten tousled. He sunk further into Phil at this, and they laid there, legs tangled, in the warm light from the window for hours in a comfortable silence. It didn't take long for Dan to drift off in Phil's arms. A smile played at his mouth when he realized how much he wished he'd found this moment before. How much he wish he'd had Dan before. But he has him now, in his arms, and for the moment, that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this ones ridiculously short! At least some fun things go down amiright.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day at school was magical to Phil. He raced into class to find Dan, hoping that he hadn't dreamed the night before. He hadn't.  
"How'd you sleep?" Phil ask sweetly  
"Oh, fine." Dan was toying with him of course. He hadn't actually slept a wink the night before. Instead, as soon as Phil left, he started running around downstairs while yelling obnoxiously. He could have been found jumping up and down on his bed around 2:00 in the morning trying to get rid of all the excitement left over from kissing Phil. He wasn't quite sure how it all happened so fast. He never would have expected himself to be the kind of person who just kissed on the first date. At the same time, Phil had not been the one that made the move. Dan made that choice, in the heat of the moment, staring down at him. Now he couldn't get it out of his mind, the feeling of Phil's lips, however brief it existed, was stained into his own pink flesh. He felt like he was holding a vibrant, living secret inside of him that was fueling him. His parents finally came downstairs somewhere in the middle of the night to tell him to settle down, but he found it difficult.   
Phil, however, had just been oddly calmed by the event. It took away much of the questioning tension he'd felt that day between them. It brought them to a time in the relationship progression that he felt most comfortable with, but did not have any added pressure to go crazy from now on. For the first time, he was just happy to have been kissed by a really nice boy. He slept very well, soundly in a warm peace. Everything seemed exciting with this new development in his head; even finally doing the literature homework that he was neglecting during school to talk to Dan late at night once he got home from the other boy's house. He didn't mind much spending all the rest of his free time that wasn't already dedicated to Dan to make sure he got enough things done that he could spend more time with Dan. Speaking of Dan, he found himself saying the boy's name in his head quite a lot like this, all of his thoughts somehow relating back to the same topic.   
Each of them unknowingly tried to act nonchalant about seeing each other after the previous night's events the next day in class, but neither could hold in their sheepish flattery once they spent 5 minutes together.  
Dan couldn't have told anyone a thing that happened at school that day that didn't have to do with Phil. He just did not care to focus on anything else.   
Phil was struggling to focus, but in a different way.   
Every time he looked at Dan, he wanted to reach out to touch him, hold him, maybe kiss him again, and make him feel appreciated. Once was not enough and the kids surrounding them in the classroom were torturing him by denying them privacy. He wanted time with Dan again.   
"So." Phil lilted in a soft tone  
"Mhmm?" Dan was entranced by Phil's slender fingers, which he was gently holding and bending and touching continuously.  
"Would you want to maybe... Hang out again this evening?"  
Dan glanced up with a devilish grin.   
"'Evening' is such a fancy term. Are you asking me on a proper date, Phil?"  
"Mayyybeee..."  
"Well now. That's such a big step. What would this date entail?" he teased  
Phil thought hard. Where could he take Dan?  
"There's this lovely sushi place on second street."  
"I've heard of it. A fancy establishment indeed."  
"So you'd be interested?"  
"For sure." Dan had a quick thought. "But we have a problem."  
"What's that?" Phil ask  
A grin played on his lips. "Well you haven't a thing to wear!"

They held hands on the walk up to Dan's front door from the bus. Phil took a closer look at some of the frogs the second time around.  
"I like the one in the raincoat best."  
"That doesn't even surprise me."  
Dan started to head straight for the basement.  
"Hey, I've only been here twice now. Any chance you can give me the tour?"  
Dan took him by the hand, leading him into the living room, the upstairs bathroom, the guest room, the coat room, even the laundry room. Finally they reached the kitchen.  
"Its nice to know where the fridge is." Phil mentioned  
"Take whatever you want but stay a safe distance back from the pocky sticks."  
"Aw! Those are my favorite!"  
Dan stared him down, only half serious.  
"I'll buy you a box some day if you stay away from mine now."  
Having freedom to raid the fridge was important to Phil, and he saw it as an utmost sign of trust. Even if he didn't eat Dan's pocky, he was still thrilled. They started to move on when Phil spotted a door down the hall from the kitchen.  
"What's back here?"  
Dan stopped him with a hand on his arm.   
"I've had enough of the tour. Let's find you an outfit." Dan jerked a slightly confused Phil down the stairs instead.  
He dropped his shoes and his jacket next to the bed like he had yesterday.  
"What'cha doin'?"  
Dan had begun hurriedly messing with something on the TV and his phone.   
"Nothing..."  
Phil was already in the closet looking at tops before he heard a familiar tune drift through the walls.

Only fools fall for you, only fools  
Only fools do what I do, only fools fall

Dan came in and leaned on the door frame smugly, proud of himself for remembering.   
Phil was truly touched that Dan had somehow thought to play Troye Sivan after seeing his spotify the day before.   
"You didn't."  
They truly did start out with the intentions to find Phil a nice button up that matched his black skinny jeans, but it didn't take long before they were wrapped together, sitting on the changing bench. After all, Blue Neighborhood was a good album to make out to. Phil released all the pent up need to feel Dan's lips on his own again. Things were going well. Dan was a little surprised with how quickly and intentful Phil was, his lips moving faster than they had yesterday.  
"Slow down.....Take a breath for God's sake..." he laughed in between kisses  
Phil started smiling into the kiss.   
"But I don't wanna." Phil whined before reconnecting.  
"If you don't.....Stop....And pick out a shirt.....We're gonna be late for the reser.....vation.."  
Phl pulled away and looked Dan in the eyes. "Why do you always have to be so rude?" he joked.  
"One of us has to be the responsible one. Now get undressed."  
Phil happily obliged, throwing off his top before leaning back in.  
"No, you're supposed to put something else back on now!"  
Dan used all the self restraint he had to end the kiss and push a whining Phil's shoulders back and guide him to the shirt rack.  
"I thought you were funnnnn!"  
They were never going to get to the restaurant on time and Dan knew he would cave to Phil's offers soon if he didn't do something.   
He brought his mouth up against Phil's ear so that his steady breath would roll off against it and leaned into him. "You can get dressed now and we'll continue this later, or not at all."   
Phil's body stiffened. Without another word, he turned and started to sort through the shirt options with surprising determination.

////

Second street was a 10 minute cab ride away from Dan's house. Phil was busy admiring his (Dan's) outfit the whole drive. It was a dark green button down, with a breezy and soft fabric. Phil hadn't imagined he'd choose this one when Dan held it up to him on the hanger, but once he tried it on just to humor him, he fell in love with it. It was just a tad big, having originally been a size that fitted Dan's form sharply.   
"It looks even nicer on you with it hanging a little loose," Dan said  
"It's so soft!"  
"I know, right?"  
Dan had gone with a button up also. His was a thicker, almost jean fabric that had neat little pockets on the chest. It was bright teal, and he'd only worn it once before to an Easter service by declaration of his parents. It was somehow the perfect shirt for the occasion.

The restaurant was fancy and locally owned, and all their decorations seemed expensive. Phil held the door, and proceeded to the hostess station with Dan on his arm.   
"We've got a reservation for two."  
"Name?"  
"Lester."  
The hostess seemed stressed. "It's a good thing you put your name in when you did."  
"Why's that?"  
"We're packed tonight."  
Dan's body tensed. Phil took the hint.   
"Any chance you have a table that's more out of the way?"  
She frowned. "No, sorry. Everything's booked."  
Phil glanced at Dan, whose discomfort with the crowd size was evident.   
"You sure you don't... Want to check again?"  
Phil propped his arm on the counter and slid a £10 out from under his palm.   
"Yes. I'm sure."  
The lady's voice was stern. She wasn't impressed by the attempt at a payoff.   
Phil's ears burned with embarrassment as they were walked to a table in the center of the dining room.   
"Your server will be with you soon."  
Dan's face looked like a sheet. Every table around them was filled. Everyone was talking in hushed tones about their own conversation, a laugh bursting out here or there.   
Phil reached across the table and took his hand. "I'm here. Just remember to breathe."  
Dan shook his head halfheartedly.   
They scanned their menus for a bit before the server appeared.   
"What can I get you two for drinks?"  
They both ordered a water, Phil having to fill in for Dan's lack of a response.   
"I'm sorry." Phil said as the waiter left   
"It's okay."   
Phil couldn't help but feel like a failure. He had tried so hard to take Dan to a nice place and of course it had to be filled with the one thing that could ruin it most for Dan.   
Their conversation was lacking as Dan tried to retain a grasp on reality. His head was spinning. He couldn't mess this up for Phil, the poor guy had tried so hard. He was so excited.   
Finally it came time to order food.   
"I'll take the eel rolls with avocado," Phil requested   
"Dan?"   
He breathed hard, trying to make the words come out.   
"Spicy tuna roll." he mumbled, eyes darting around the room.  
The waiter finished copying the order.   
"Anything else?"  
Phil motioned for the waiter to lean down. He whispered something in his ear. The waiter stood back up with furrowed eyebrows. Phil still had the £10 in his pocket and slid it towards the waiter. He received it much better than the hostess had.   
"I'll see what I can do."  
He walked off with more pep in his step than he had arrived with, Dan noticed.   
"What did you tell him?"  
Phil smiled and sipped his water. "You'll see."  
Dan still couldn't make conversation beyond that.   
Minutes later, the waiter arrived back with the food.   
And the check.   
And some bags.   
"Everything's in here. Extra napkins too. Anything else?"  
"No, that'll be great, thank you."  
Phil slid his credit card into the bill folder and the waiter returned with it only seconds later.  
"Just sign here."  
Phil did, and waved the man goodbye.   
"Well, come on."  
He picked up the food bags and waited next to Dan for him to take his arm.   
"What are you doing?"  
"We're going someplace nicer."  
They left and hailed a cab on the street. Phil whispered the location, and Dan wasn't quick enough to catch it.   
"I'm so sorry."  
"Don't be. That whole place was packed full of snobs."  
They reached the destination quickly and climbed out. It was an overlook at a public park, the trees sweeping below the grassy platform they stood on. The moon was a waning crescent tonight, clearly visible in the sky above them. The cool moonlight was a relief to Dan.   
"This is beautiful..." he whispered   
"One of my favorite places in town. Please, sit."  
They sat cross legged beside each other, facing the low cutting valleys that glowed silver ahead of them. Phil began to sort the food.   
"Chopsticks or fork?"  
Dan laughed. "If we're not at risk of being judged by the people at the restaurant I'd definitely prefer a fork."  
Phil handed him the plastic cutlery and took one for himself as well. "A wise choice."  
They ate their food less than daintily, sharing dishes and laughing at missing their mouths here and there. Everything but the rustling trees was quiet around them.   
"Try the eel!" Phil giggled   
"Never!"  
"Tryyyy itttt!"  
He picked up a scoop on the fork and gently lifted it into Dan's mouth. He began to chew suspiciously, and then recoiled once the aftertaste hit.   
"Ew no!"  
He was laughing so hard at the rancid taste that the sushi just fell out of his mouth, causing Phil to double over with giggles.   
"It's not even that bad!"  
"I'm never kissing you again if you continue to put that in your mouth."   
"Harsh. But we just can't have that."  
Phil dramatically shoved the dish away and cradled the back of Dan's neck in his hands. He pulled their faces together, their lips colliding in the remnants of laughter. Their mouths moved as one, each of them pleasantly surprised at how easily they could predict each other's movements. Dan became sloppier as the kiss went on, planting smooches only in the general vicinity of Phil's face, causing him to grin.  
They ended up lying in the grass, heads together and fingers intertwined, sorting through all the clusters of stars above them.   
"This was a really nice date." Dan whispered  
"So you'll let me take you on another one?"   
"As long as it doesn't involve eel or lots of people again, I'm up for anything."


	6. Chapter 6

The next few days went by in a blur. Phil was so wrapped up in everything about Dan, his life and his laugh and his hands and his hair, it was pretty much disgusting. Dan was having the time of his life. For the first time, he had someone to walk the halls with, someone who didn't mind being away from everyone else. More than anything, he felt lucky that Phil hadn't turned out to be rude and inconsiderate like he first thought he would be. They went to Dan's house almost every day. Eventually they did finish the haiku!! episode, but had to pause a few times for... various reasons. The kisses got longer and the goodbyes got harder, and Phil raced to wake up and get to school, to Dan, as fast as he could. One might call it falling in love, but it was far too early to jump to such scary conclusions for Phil.

It had been 14 days since the first day of school, and they had spent every one together. Phil adjusted his hair before stepping into the classroom. He made his way to Dan's designated seat, a bit nervous for him to see what he'd done and for his plans that day.   
Dan started giggling when Phil stood in front of him. "Well? Do you like it?"  
He was thrilled. "Do a spin!"  
Phil turned slowly, letting Dan see the whole of the dark red button up that was littered with polkadots. He had saved up since that first night at Dan's house to get the top, the most colorful thing he felt comfortable wearing. It was the perfect outfit to wear for asking Dan to be his boyfriend.   
"I was right. You do look nice in color."  
Phil slid onto Dan's knees and wrapped his arms around him, and kissed the tip of his nose.   
"This is now the single piece of colored clothing that I own, and it's all because of you. I hope you're proud."  
"Very."  
Dan closed the gap between their lips, grateful to see him again. 10 hours apart was far too long. Phil pulled back, having forgot an important request.   
"I'm still wearing the black jeans though. I can't work the white ones or the jean shorts like you."  
Dan laughed lightly, his forehead coming to rest on Phil's.   
"That's fine. They make your butt look nice anyways."  
Phil leaned back in to continue the kiss. Dan was so good at it, every moment they spent with their lips connected might as well have added time onto Phil's life. Hopefully, it was all time he'd spent with Dan.   
The idea to ask him about officially making them a package deal had come two days earlier while at Dan's house.

~ ~ ~ ~

They were tangled up together in his bed, under the soft grey and black duvet. The window was closed and their light laughter filled up the darkness around them. The TV was turned up on full volume, and they were watching The Gallows. There was popcorn scattered across the bed from where Phil had thrown it during a previous jump scare where a locker slammed shut.   
"Dan this is awful there's gonna be someone dead there!"  
Phil was curled up tightly around him, his hand covering his eyes.   
"Oh, they're going down the dark hallway.."  
Dan taunted   
"Why the fuck would they think that's a good idea!"  
"Oh no, the lights are flickering," Dan teased   
"Screw this."  
"There's a door at the end of the hall."  
"Please tell me they're not going in the door."  
"They're going in the door."  
"These assholes deserve to die. I can't take this."  
Phil had brought the movie over as a surprise after Dan offhandedly mentioned that he was the type of person who can't be shaken by horror films. Phil saw that as a challenge. He had never watched The Gallows before, in fact he secretly borrowed it from his older brother Martyn. The only flaw in Phil's plan was that he forgot that he had no tolerance when it came to jump scares. It just so happened this movie was full of them.   
The leader of the pack, a girl named Pfeiffer, pushed open the door at the end of the hall. An old TV screen on a cart began to play the original recording of the kid dying on stage years before. Then something crashed and the door slammed shut.   
"OH MY GOD NO"  
Phil jumped and ended up on top of Dan's chest. His head was buried in Dan's neck.   
"Turn it off!"  
"You're the one that brought it over. I'm actually enjoying it. Good story line."  
"Who cares about the story line?! He's gonna come down the hall and hang us both!"  
"Who Phil? Who's gonna hang us?"  
"Please don't say his name."  
Dan's lips curled into a devilish grin. "Chaaaaarrrrliiiieee..."  
"DAN DON'T TAUNT HIS EVIL ASS HE'LL KILL US"  
"Chaaaarrrrrlllliiieeee!"  
Just then, another door slammed shut on the movie.   
"That's it!"  
Phil sat up and grabbed the remote and hit pause. He buried his head in his hands.   
Dan was laughing really hard.   
"Don't laugh at my fear! You could have gotten us killed!"  
Dan opened his mouth to taunt the demon again. "Ch-"  
Phil slammed his hand over his mouth. "Never again."  
Dan's laughter didn't stop, and eventually Phil found himself giggling too.   
"You know you wouldn't have died." Dan stated bluntly  
"No, I don't. How would you know if Charlie's real or not?"  
"That's not what I mean."  
Dan scooted closer to Phil on the bed and took his left hand in both of his and started to rub circles in his palm. He couldn't look Phil in the eye for this, it was too cheesy.   
"What do you mean then?"  
Dan took a deep breath.   
"I mean if ch- the guy- showed up, I wouldn't let him hurt you."  
Phil didn't answer.   
"I would fight a hell demon murderer for you I mean."  
Phil was still silent. Dan was sure he had overstepped and made things weird. Time to cover it up with sarcasm.   
"Because obviously if you tried to fight him you'd lose. I'd only win because I'm like super buff and-"  
Phil cut him off with a kiss. He leaned him back down on the bed and ran his fingers through his auburn hair. His mind buzzed. He started to kiss more hungrily, getting lost in Dan. He felt heat rise into his whole body, and he knew his lips would be sore after this. He made his way to the side of Dan's mouth, and started to trail down his cheek and found his jaw bone. Next, he followed down the underside of his neck until he reached Dan's collar bone. He untangled a hand from out of his hair to pull away the yellow tank top Dan was wearing. Dan's breath hiked, spurring him on. There he went faster, and started to nip at one place just above the bone until he was sure there would be a mark left behind. He retraced his path until he landed back on Dan's face, and slowed down to take a breath.   
"You're probably the first person who's ever offered to fight a hell demon for me." Phil whispered.   
"Well you know those hell demons. They're a real and present danger." Dan out of breath, Phil really knew his stuff.   
"You know what else is a real and present danger?"  
"What?"  
"This tank top."  
Phil slid his hand slowly up under the fabric, knowing it would drive Dan crazy. He was right.   
"Wait," Dan said   
"What? Did I do something wrong?"  
"No it's... It's nice. And I really want to. But it's only been like a week."  
Phil smiled. "Yeah. I get it."  
Dan's eyes lit up. "Tell you what. You marry me, and you can do whatever you want to me."  
They both burst out laughing. Dan only meant it half jokingly. He was glad he didn't scare Phil with the M word.   
"You promise?" Phil teased  
"I do." Dan said romantically.   
Phil laughed. "You're such a nerd."

Phil went home that night and thought hard about what happened. More than anything, he was so amused with how sweet it was that Dan wanted to wait for marriage. He also made a mental note to respect that wish in the future. It was already 2:00 am, and he was staring at the ceiling, smiling to himself like a goon. Not like he was going to sleep anyways.   
'What if you did marry him?'  
'That's ridiculously far off. How can you even suggest that?'  
'Not like you've ever met anyone else you thought you could actually see yourself with for the rest of your life.'  
'Well marriage is a big step. We need start somewhere smaller.'  
He rolled over and let the small amount of light fading through the window drill into his eyes. Where could he start?  
'You could be the one to ask him to be your boyfriend.'  
'You do realize what that would mean right? You're only a week into summer school and you're ready to make a commitment to someone that will go longer than just this month. Maybe even forever.'  
'It's not like I'll ever do that again to anyone. He's made me realize how awful that was. I owe him a commitment like that for helping me see what I was doing was wrong.'  
'That's the most cliche thing I've ever heard. I'm disgusting.'  
His phone buzzed and drug him out of his own thoughts.

Dan: you asleep?

Phil smiled to himself before replying back.

Phil: of course not. we're the pretty much the same person, remember?

He knew he was going to ask now. He had to. He wanted to. It was time to move on, his world was changing along with his mind, and he had never been more excited about something before.

~ ~ ~ ~

Phil's memory of the few days prior faded as Dan finished telling him what type of cereal he had for breakfast.   
"Do you think my outfit even compares to this gorgeous red button up of yours?"  
Dan ask as he fingered Phil's collar. Phil sat back on Dan's lap and scanned him up and down.   
"Oh, yes."  
Dan had on a mint green crop top, and the aforementioned jean shorts. His crown was a matching mint green, with sparkles on the petals. By the end of the day, Phil had a few of those sparkles in his own fringe. He tried and failed to shake them all out while they made their way to the bus. They were faster than the rest of the crowd and were first to board. Dan slid up against the wall in the seat and Phil leaned into him, and their arms circled around each others backs. Phil was in the middle of a harrowing tale about a trip to the zoo he once had where there were meerkats, trying to shake the nerves that crept up on him the closer they got to Dan's house. What if he said no? Would this whole thing be over? Would he lose him? What reason would he have for saying no anyways?  
"And they eat scorpions! All kinds of bugs!"  
"Ew no I can't even handle spiders let alone scorpions."   
Phil curled his index finger in resemblance to a scorpion tail and started to dig at Dan's arm with it, causing the earth shattering giggles Phil treasured so much.   
"What the fuck? Holy shit, Lester is that you?"  
Phil whipped around to see a guy he vaguely remembered from summer school gym class last year staring down at him with scorn.   
"Eddy, hey."  
Dan sunk away from Phil and gazed to the ground.   
"Guess you made good on the promise to find one every year, eh?"  
Phil's heart sank. Not now. Not now. Dan couldn't hear the same thing from two different people and not be suspicious.   
Dan chimed in, his voice quiet.   
"What are you talking about?"  
'No, please no.' Phil thought   
By now, 5 people had piled up behind him, all of them looking at the two boys like meat. "Oh man, is this the new one?"  
They began whispering, murmuring, laughing.   
"I was wondering when he'd hook up again."  
"New kid doesn't know that he's got himself into it with the town whore."   
"How many times you fucked him yet?" A girl yelled   
"Is it even a he? Look at the clothes!"  
"Yeah let's hear it!"  
Eddy moved around the back of their seat and leaned over Dan, whose vision was going blurry. There were so many people. They were all looking at him this time. He was sure. Where was Phil?   
"Well now! It appears he doesn't even know."  
The crowd gasped, and started to laugh.   
"Why, your new boy toy over here has quite the reputation." His voice became a mockery of gentle explanation, further frightening Dan.   
"Eddy, please don't..." Phil begged. He wanted to stop him, lunge at him, but there were too many people. He was helpless.   
"Every summer, the infamous Phil Lester finds a cute boy who's just spineless enough to follow him around. All through summer school, he leads the poor boy on, makes him feel special, pretending he's the best thing ever. By the end of the month, Phil's most likely fucked him enough to be satisfied, and grows bored with him, and dumps him on his ass. It's a riot to watch, every time."  
Dan was silent. Eddy began to laugh.   
Another kid stood on the seat in front of them, making sure they were both trapped on all sides now.   
"What the hell you wearing a girl's outfit for? You some kind of pixie? I thought you were gay, Lester!"  
The laughter erupted. There was at least 15 people in the bus now, and they were all in on the joke. Phil could feel tears forming in his eyes.   
"Say," Eddy taunted, grabbing a piece of Dan's hair from the back and pulling his face up   
"how about you tell us. Is he the bottom, or are you?"  
Phil slapped Eddy's hand away.   
"Fuck off."  
"Ooo, feisty. It's almost like you... Actually care about him! Ha! Do you have him fooled with that yet?"  
Dan looked to Phil for an explanation to all of this. Why would Eddy say all this if it wasn't real? How could Dan have been so blind? That's why he acted like he did that first day. What if he was just being used this whole time?   
Phil was fuming, but he had to defend himself. Even if Dan barely retained parts of it, if he planned on changing and making a commitment, he had to make a stand.   
"I'm different now Eddy. Things are different. You need to leave or I'll throw you off this damn bus myself."  
Eddy's 'playful' atmosphere dropped. Phil stood up to rival him.   
"Is that so?"  
Phil knew he pissed the boy off and steadied himself for what was to happen next. Maybe he even deserved it.   
There was a heavy second of silence before Eddy pulled back his fist and connected with Phil's left jaw. The world started to spin and his mouth tasted like metal, but he could make out chanting around him.   
Fight.   
Fight.   
Fight.   
He swung his head towards Dan, who's body sat helpless and rigid in the seat. His mind was long gone, so far hidden inside his head he might never resurface.   
Before he could reach down to Dan, Eddy threw another punch at his right ear. He heard something snap before he heard nothing at all. With the bit of coordination and pure rage he had left, he stepped up onto the seat and grabbed Eddy's head and slammed it into the metal frame under the worn leather on the seat. An audible crack was heard and Eddy fell to the floor and did not get up. Someone grabbed his shoulders and drug him off the bus, yelling at all the other kids to sit down and shut up. He was lowered onto cement and left there. Soon after, another body was carried off the bus, and set on the pavement. His eyes were starting to sync up again, and he saw the nurse come towards him and apply ice. His head wasn't as clear however. He couldn't remember what happened to Dan.   
Dan.   
"Where's dahh.."  
"Sweetie, you need to stop talking for a second. I think you have a concussion."  
His eyes trailed back to the bus, and he saw a dash of light green and pale skin carrying a flowered bag step off it. It looked around to make sure no one saw. Then, it took off, away from school, towards the general direction of its house.   
"Dan!"  
He was sure it looked back for a split second before running even harder, but Phil didn't remember much after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo snap it all went down in this chapter. Sorry. Gotta have some angst in there or it wouldn't be good. Also, those things mentioned about The Gallows were actually from the movie. It's a pretty decent horror film, although I was definitely more like Phil while watching it.


	7. Chapter 7

By the grace of God, Eddy's parents did not press charges, deciding that after the witness statements and teacher input, their kid probably deserved what came to him. He was sure to get another beating when he got out of urgent care, but Phil couldn't help but feel like Eddy had it better off.   
The ear had been crushed and started bleeding, but luckily blocked the impact from fully giving him a concussion. His jaw had split in 2 places and he got 5 stitches in all, and the bruise was gnarly. He had to stay home from school the next day and rest in low light, but none of it helped him find out about Dan. He'd texted him the second he was able to remember how to use the alphabet.

Phil: please call me.  
read at 10:07

Phil: I'm sorry.  
read at 12:35

Phil: dan?  
read at 3:28

Phil: you can't even talk to me?  
read at 5:09

Phil: are you okay?  
read at 7:10

Phil: i know i'm not.  
read at 8:03

Not a single response.

It was somewhere around 10:00 now. Phil had spent the whole day lying in the dark, waiting for the migraine to pass. It didn't seem like it would, so he figured he might as well just call Dan.  
The first time around, the line was busy. Phil knew he'd just silenced the call. He tried again. This time, it seemed Dan was just going to let it ring. Phil took the opportunity to leave a voicemail. Even if Dan didn't listen to it, he had to try.  
"It's me."  
His voice started out shakier than he'd have liked.  
"Dan, please, call me. I need to talk to you. Please don't shut me out like this."  
He ended the call and stared at the menu. Maybe if he tried again Dan would answer.  
He did not.  
"It's me again. I don't understand Dan. I'm trying so hard. If it's me leaving you're afraid of... I wouldn't be doing all this if I was going to, would I?"  
He almost expected Dan's voice to come through the line and answer him, but it didn't.  
"I miss you."  
He started to cry again, and squeezed his eyes shut, the silence of the other side of the line too much for him to handle anymore.  
He hung up.   
Tears were streaming down his face. The first night at Dan's, he had accidentally gone home with that purple button up. He had it twisted into his knuckles now, and pressed his face into the collar. He had popped blood vessels belows his eyes crying already, and the shirt was fairly soaked. It was extensively cruel that through all the sour tears, Dan's warm and flowery scent still drifted up from the fabric. He'd never felt more alone in his life. He only hoped he hadn't done the same to the boy he loved.

////

The next day at school, Phil sat alone in the chair in front of Dan's. It was raining outside, the dreary type of rain that persists but isn't enough to be magical and smells like dirt instead of clouds. He ask other people in the class if Dan had been there yesterday, and he hadn't. Phil cried more silently now, ashamed in front of everyone at what he'd done.   
He went home on his own bus that day, and sat in the cold damp seat alone.   
He went home alone that night, and didn't have any interest in watching the new haiku!! episode. That's something he should have done with Dan.   
He couldn't even sleep. Even though his exhaustion clawed at his chest, all he could do was lay alone and feel empty space around him and in his heart.

Day three, and Dan was still not at school. Phil had adjusted himself to the idea of never seeing him again. Never feeling his skin or smelling his hair or hearing his laugh. Or, even worse, passing him in the hall every now and then and seeing how much he'd hurt him in his eyes and feeling all those memories, the best of his life, die a bit more every time. That was the part that hurt the most. He was out there, somewhere, trying to live with what Phil was, and holding all those same memories in his heart. He'd never know that Dan was different to him. He'd never give him the time to listen to him plead and beg and try and convince him what he meant to him. Phil didn't even know that he deserved that.   
He didn't.   
......  
But Dan did.   
He had to know. Phil had to at least try to tell him. He didn't deserve to feel like he was just another trophy to Phil. Dan deserved better than that. Would he listen? Would he care? Would it matter?  
'He won't believe a word from you. He never answered a single text. You think he'll stand there and listen to your lies?'  
'But they aren't lies. He means so much. He was, is, the only one I've ever really cared for.'  
Phil's mind was at war with itself. He decided he had to try, at least.   
As soon as school got out, Phil took off walking to a boutique down the street. He tried to put on a brave smile for the shop owner.   
"I need a dozen roses, light blue. Do you carry those?"  
"We carry almost every color! Light blue is a nice one. It must be for someone very special."  
"It is."   
"You know, light blue roses represent peace and tranquility in love. I bet you've got a mighty fine relationship if you're getting this color."   
Phil found his words choking on a lump in his throat.   
"I'm trying to make it that way."  
He handed over the £80 and left, tears welling in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah super short again. Just trying to make you suffer I guess.


	8. Chapter 8

He was stood in front of Dan's door wearing the red shirt from the other day, holding some very expensive roses that closely resembled that first crown that he had worn in his closet. His heart felt like it was being slowly stretched until the strings inside it broke.   
He rang the doorbell. A few seconds passed and he didn't hear noise inside. He knew Dan's parents weren't home right now. Unless something had come up, Dan should have been there.   
He was about to ring it again, feeling purely defeated, when he heard a faint sound inside grow louder. It was feet walking up stairs. The air in Phil's chest started to get heavy.   
Seconds dragged by as the footsteps got closer.   
The door turned, and began to open, the object itself seeming almost reluctant to move.   
Phil stood face to face with a boy that was not Dan.   
It looked sort of like Dan, it had brownish, messed and greasy hair, and wore a white tank top with a few red sauce stains on it that Phil vaguely remembered that Dan owned, but the dark circles and emotionless expression were not the bright, loving Dan he had come to know. It didn't look like he had even been crying, like Phil had. It just looked like he'd died.   
The rain around them seemed to drum louder at the pained silence between them.   
How was Phil to start?   
"I came to talk. I need to apologize, Dan, I need to explain."  
"What in the world would you want to explain to me."  
His voice was flat and emotionless, it didn't even shake.   
"Can... Can I come in?"  
Dan looked to the ground before moving aside.   
The door shut a little to hard behind Phil. He breathed deeply before turning around to see Dan's arms crossed and his shoulders slumped.   
"I'm sorry."  
"For what? What specific part of this have you come to apologize for?"  
"I-"  
"For putting on an act? For using me and my feelings for the entertainment of others? For leaving me on that bus? For being a slut? I know all of it, Phil. It didn't take a lot of asking around to hear all the details of your tirades with guys over the past few years. Tell me Phil, what part of that do you feel responsible for?"  
Phil wanted to scream that it wasn't an act, that he really cared.   
Instead, he started crying.   
"None of this was supposed to happen."  
Dan didn't respond.   
"I was scared of when you'd find out. I knew you'd be disgusted with me. I didn't want to lose you. I knew you deserved better." He choked through tears  
"You were planning on dumping me in the street like trash once school was over, so why does it matter now?"  
Phil's breathing was unsteady. The tears were like an open water tap.   
"I wasn't going to. I wasn't. You were different Dan. You made me realize how careless I'd been, how destructive I was."  
"Oh, so you were just going to magically change for me? All the sudden be the type of person who sticks around for people that trust them?"  
"I couldn't have faked everything I've done! I couldn't have just been acting this whole time!"  
"I don't know what you're capable of, do I? I don't know you. I don't trust you."  
"But you do know me Dan. That was me. The whole time. It wasn't an act. Everything you know about me is real and everything I feel for you is too."  
"So when did it change, hm? When did you decide that I was worth not whoring around for anymore?"  
Dan's voice sounded like he was spitting poison. He approached Phil in fury.   
"What the hell is it about me that made you so interested?"  
They were close now. Phil felt revolting, he felt like he wanted to be as far away from here as he possibly could.   
"I don't, I don't know! You made me feel responsible, I wanted to protect you-"  
"I don't need any goddamn protection. Especially not from you."  
This was it. He'd lost him.   
Phil lifted the flowers out to Dan, unable to look him in the eye. They were drenched, some of the petals damaged.   
"I understand if you can't find it in yourself to see me again." His words were stuttered by the tears. "But you deserve to know that it was real."  
Was he going to say it? Could he?  
Fuck it.   
"I think I love you, Dan."  
His gaze fell to the floor. The tears had stopped and everything just felt numb.   
Dan's jaw dropped, and he let himself really examine Phil for a moment.   
He looked absolutely beat. Probably just as bad as Dan, but with a clean shirt. The shirt that he got just for him. His ear still had a bandage on it, and his jaw had raw stitches in it. Phil hadn't paid a second of attention to his wounds this whole time. He must be sore. And to be fair, he had earned them trying to protect Dan. No, he corrected himself, he was protecting his own secret. He was selfish.   
...  
But of course he was. If any bit of what Phil said was true, the last thing he needed was someone else telling him what Phil's reputation was. If there was any truth to it, he probably had planned on easing Dan into it without scaring him. After that first day, it did seem like any ill intentions Phil had were gone. He now had an explanation for why he seemed so shitty when he introduced himself. But none of that made sense. He just couldn't let himself believe that Phil had found something so important in Dan that he would just drop his whole act, his tradition and his reputation. Especially if he thought he'd get beat up for it, which he did.   
It was all too much to think about. He needed time to process it. At same time, he couldn't just let the poor guy go home like this.   
"Phil."  
He looked up like a dog that was about to be beaten again.   
"The flowers, they're very nice. Thank you."  
Phil was dumbfounded. He didn't know what he expected next.   
Dan approached him cautiously and put a guiding hand on his back. He led him down to the basement and into the bathroom, where he pulled out his softest towel and started to pat Phil dry.   
"Take this and work on your hair. I'll be back."  
He went next door to the closet and found an over sized light orange sweater and a pair of baggy football shorts. It didn't match well but it was the most comfortable outfit he owned.   
Mostly undressing Phil and drying him off wasn't awkward or sexual in the slightest. They both secretly found the neutral silence between them to be a relief. It was leaps and bounds better than the screaming that had persisted in both of their heads for the last three days.   
Phil's body was beginning to shut down, between the exhaustion and the fear and the crying and the stress. Dan didn't even think before he picked him up in his arms, and carried him to his bed. A loud crash of thunder sounded outside as Dan pulled the soft, warm duvet up to an already sleeping Phil's chin.   
He considered leaving a kiss on his forehead, ached for it even, but couldn't bring himself to do it.   
With Phil finally achieving some much needed rest, he made his way back upstairs to take care of the flowers. He cut the stems and drew a vase of water, adding some crushed aspirin to the mixture. He filled them in so they were spread evenly, and left them in front of the kitchen windowsill so they could catch the sunlight whenever it decided to come back out.   
When he finished his hands felt tired and heavy. He made his way back downstairs and checked to see if he'd imagined the boy in his bed.   
He hadn't.   
He dropped slowly to the floor in the middle of the room and curled his knees up to his chest. For only the second time in the past few days, Dan started to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's all been super angsty recently sorry so lets lighten the mood with a side thought.   
> The football shorts are from Dan actually playing football years ago at his old school. He sucked at it. His mum insisted he got into sports in 8th grade because it would give him an in for high school and help him make friends. He became very aware very quickly that he was focused much more on the other boys than the football and ended up striking the attention of one particular boy who ended up being Dan's first boyfriend and his first kiss. But don't worry, it ended mutually as they went to different high schools. Dan didn't date again until he found Phil, of course.   
> Now, back the the regularly scheduled program.


	9. Chapter 9

Phil's eyes slid open like butter. His head ached. At first his surroundings didn't arouse any suspicion, he'd woken up in Dan's bed lots of times.   
Dan.   
Phil rolled to his right to find Dan's probably shirtless body cocooned within the duvet to pull him closer.   
But he wasn't there.   
That's when Phil woke up fully, shooting straight up in the bed.   
Of course Dan wasn't there. Phil had forgotten the events that led up to his arrival in Dan's house after all they'd gone through. He was alone in the sheets, wearing clothing that was not his. Dan was nowhere to be found.   
The alarm clock on the nightstand read 4:39. It was late, really late. He started to worry. He hadn't planned on staying over, his parents didn't know where he was, and he didn't have anything with him. He raced to get up and find his phone, but his eyes landed on a sheet of paper that caught the red light of the clock.   
He leaned off the bed to read it by the same light, and his eyes were barely able to make sense of the curly, round script that Dan used.

\- Phil. It's 10:46 right now. Your mum called you once to see where you were, you'll find a hopefully satisfactory text response to her in your phone. My parents are fine with you staying over as usual. The fridge is all fair game except the pocky. Dan -

Phil rolled back over and rubbed his eyes. Things were starting to come back to him now, the heated discussion and the crying and Dan carrying him to bed. But why hadn't Dan kicked him out?  
He figured he should at least find him. He could be anywhere in the house.   
Phil went on a hunt through the basement. He bet that Dan had collapsed on the floor at the foot of the bed at one point in the night as his white tank top was left there. Oh, correct that, Phil found everything Dan had been wearing underneath that. He checked the bathroom, which he found empty, although it had recently been used. The shower walls were thinly coated in perspiration and the air smelled of roses and bubbles.   
He moved onto the closet, as Dan probably decided to redress himself after his shower. He approached cautiously, as there was no telling what state he was in. The light was left on and two hangers were on the floor- one in front of the leggings section and one in front of the patterned tops section.   
Next, he went upstairs. He moved slowly so as not to wake Dan's parents. He wasn't used to them being there when he was and hadn't talked to them much, and he figured this might be a bit hard to explain if they found him in the middle of a quest to find their son this late at night.   
The foyer, living room, kitchen, and even the guest room were all still. He was close to calling the cops for a missing kid before he remembered the one part of the house Dan had been reluctant to show him to. He followed the long hallway off the kitchen, wondering if this was even an good idea. However, once he saw what he had been missing, his doubts were shoved to the back of his mind.   
The back porch of the Howell home was a sight to behold. It was a picturesque example of one of those yards from home magazines, with neatly arranged rocks and mulch and plants around winding stone paths that lead to the outdoor dining area, grill suite, and in-ground pool deck. Everything was lightly illuminated with soft LED's on the paths and the sound of slowly trickling water flowed through the air from a stone water fountain rising out of healthy greenery and bushes.   
Since the location was pretty far out from the main lights of the city, the stars were far clearer than they were at Phil's house near the hustle and bustle of Manchester. Just the sight of it all made him feel calmer.   
He heard a splash that wasn't characteristic to the water fountain and followed it around more stone frog statues and succulents to the pool deck.   
The sight of Dan leaning over the still water, the lights accentuating his cheekbones and thoughtful eyes and the water matching his Aqua colored top, feet lightly kicking into small waves, took Phil's breath away.   
He approached slowly, not wanting to startle Dan out of his deep thoughts.   
Dan had been expecting him, not even bothering to look up when Phil took his place beside him on the side of the pool, submerging his feet just like Dan had. It was a very long time before they spoke, neither of them wanting to break the peace around them. It was Dan who had the courage first.   
"Never seen stars like this, have you?"  
Phil shook his head. "Can't believe you didn't show this to me before. It's beautiful out here."  
"My parents hardly even use it anymore. Mum just keeps up with it to win the local home and garden award every year. I find it to be the best place I have to think though. They don't know how much I come out here."  
Phil didn't know how to respond. He knew he was invading a place that Dan held sacred.   
"It's fine, by the way. I don't mind you being out here."  
They had been answering each other's unspoken questions more and more before the other day. Phil found it cute until now; the simple connection between them just made his insides hurt in that moment.   
"We should talk."  
Dan's request was abrupt, one of those things you tell yourself to say now before you'll never be able to say it again.   
"You don't have to you know. I understand if-"  
"No, it's okay."  
Phil turned to face him for the first time, ready to be drug through a difficult conversation.   
Dan had made up his mind while Phil slept that he was going to talk to him. If there was any chance that he didn't have to get rid of Phil, that all of Phil's apologizing and promising was genuine, he had to know.   
"Thank you for what you said earlier. It takes a lot to show up out of the blue and apologize like that."  
Phil didn't respond.   
"I'm still really trying to deal with all this. It's... It's really hard to not look at you differently after hearing people talk like that about you. After hearing about all those other guys. If I'd been thinking, if I hadn't been so jealous and mad, I'd have ask you instead of going to people I knew would take any chance they had to bash you."  
He paused a moment to breathe in deeply.   
"You're right, though. You couldn't have been faking all of it. I still believe what I felt from you was real."  
"It was."  
Phil's words were soft, but sure. Dan needed to know that he was serious about him. At the same time, he couldn't believe that Dan wasn't yelling at him.   
"And you were really serious when you said that one bit earlier too, weren't you?"  
Phil's mind was slapped with the realization that he'd told Dan he loved him in the foyer. He hadn't planned on it coming out like this at all. There was no going around it now though.   
"Yeah. I didn't plan to just drop that on you though. Sorry for the timing." He looked down in humiliation. He couldn't believe he'd just let himself get out of control like that. The disappointment seeped into all the corners of his mind.  
"That's what I thought."  
Phil tried to read his voice, and was truly surprised that it wasn't as disappointed as his thoughts were. Dan was... okay with that?  
Dan continued.   
"I want to forget everything I heard about you. I want to forget the things random strangers told me you did, I want to forget why you have those stitches on your face. I want to forget the image that's burned into my mind of you climbing on another guy without any remorse and then coming to find me."  
"I'm sorry." was all Phil could think to say. How else did he respond to the horrible thoughts Dan had behind his eyes?  
"I don't want to lose you. The you know I've known for the last two weeks. I thought we were really starting something special, and it might be foolish to hope that we can continue that."  
He wasn't done with him? Phil couldn't believe it.   
"I need you to tell me right now Phil if I'm making the wrong decision trusting you again. I need you to tell me if you're planning to leave any time soon."  
Phil's words began to come out in quick succession. "I promise I'm not leaving you. I swear it. And if you can't believe that... I'll promise again and again until I stop breathing."  
Dan seemed to drop the weight of the world off his shoulders.   
"Please don't hurt me. You've given me so much, please don't pull it out from under me now."  
He finally turned to face Phil, finding tears in the boy's eyes but his smile unwavering. Dan started to do the same.   
"Prove them all wrong. Show me that you'll stay."  
Phil pulled up his feet and slid quickly over to Dan, who's face was starting to go red.   
"I will. I'll stay as long as you want me. You'll see."  
He wrapped Dan in a hug, and Dan hugged back with all his strength, like he was trying to keep Phil from letting go. Phil felt something shift inside of him, like his center of gravity was moved. He couldn't help but believe it shifted to the boy he held in his arms.   
After Dan's hysterics let off, and his breathing evened out, he found himself exhausted like he had just come home from fighting a thousand wars.   
"You're tired aren't you?" Phil ask, his new set of instincts kicking in fast.   
"Nope. I feel as energized as the fucking sun from the teletubbies."  
They both began to laugh. It was the kind of laugh that you have to let go of the hug for and sit back, where you laugh with your eyes too.   
"How about we sleep this all off? Wake up better in the morning?"  
Dan felt himself slide into a genuine bliss for the first time in days. "I'd like that."  
They only held pinkies as they slowly followed the winding stone path back to the house, both of them feeling more connected to the other by just one finger than they'd ever felt before.   
"Shh" Dan giggled while they passed the front hall which lead straight to his parents room.   
"Wait!" Phil yell-whispered  
Dan was drug backwards by Phil, who had stopped dead in his tracks.   
"I almost fell over!"  
"Shut up and look!"  
Dan followed his eyes to the tall windows that faced the east horizon.   
"It's beautiful."  
The orange glow of the approaching morning was just barely crossing the tree line in the far distance, making the darkness and the light look like ancient lovers that were melding together with joy and vibrant color after being forced apart for billions of years.   
"There's nothing more gorgeous, is there?" Dan mumbled   
"I can only think of one other thing." Phil whispered back   
Dan leaned into him and kissed the tip of his nose.   
They found themselves both in Dan's bed, their feet still smelling faintly of the chlorine from the pool. They faced each other, their bodies only inches apart. Their hands were wound together and their breathing melded as one. Even though they weren't suggestively tangled together like usual, they had never been closer.

////

It would be a long time before the memories of those few days faded, and the rumors would quiet down. However, they never got back to where they were before. No, they both changed into new people, and found new depths in each other. Things were even better now than before. People began to respect their relationship, and Phil's legacy became a complete story that kids would sometimes tell at parties and around campfires once they had enough to drink. The only difference from what they used to whisper to their friends when he walked by in the halls was that now, the story had a happy ending. The happy ending's name was Dan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole thing has been mega cheesy and it's about to get a lot worse. One more part! I know it's short, but I hope it's told the story well.   
> A side thought:  
> Guys, they totally went to prom together.   
> Phil's suit was black with a bow tie right and he was gonna wear a white shirt but Dan told him to just show up at his house a few hours before without a shirt. Phil walks down to the basement with the corsage under his jacket (he put a muse t-shirt on so he wasn't wearing a tux with no shirt what a nerd amiright) and Dan's in the closet and yells at him to close his eyes and comes out with two matching dress shirts and they're both pastel floral print but the floral is like only two shades off from the background so it's super hard to see so they just look really nice and Phil frickin cries and thanks Dan and they show up in matching floral shirts and Phil opens the door like a gentleman and when smashmouth comes on they go from the slow dancing position to Dan head banging and screaming in 2.6 seconds and Phil's just horrified and considering dumping him right then and there but by the chorus Dan has somehow convinced him to sing along and they're sweaty as hell by the time it's over and Dan just takes Phil's cheeks in his hands and kisses him so well man (look Phil mentioned this somewhere but dans kissing game is g o o d guys) and everyone around them awwws. They go for ice cream later and drive around all night and both crash in Dans floor around 6 am with glitter in their suits and swollen lips and dead phones full of photos.   
> That was massive I was not planning on that ok then welp enjoy that. See you in the next part.


	10. Epilogue

Dan pulled the car up to the window.   
"Turn it down she won't be able to hear me!"  
Phil was in fits of laughter that had led quickly to tears. Even he never expected the Shia LaBeouf song to come on first when he hit shuffle on his music. He hadn't heard the song in years.   
"You just don't want the drive-thru lady to worry about Him, following her, standing about 30 feet back-"  
"PHIL!"  
Dan was laughing now too and almost hit the curb.  
"$5.68 please."  
They were both silent until she closed the sliding door again, at which time they broke into hysterics.   
Dan's eyes were closed, and he didn't notice when he bumped the horn. They saw people around them jump and glare at them.   
"You're the worst driver ever!" Phil exclaimed   
"I'd like to see you do a better job!"  
"I just might." He taunted  
"Nah, you couldn't. Plus, I'm a better kisser than driver."  
Dan leaned over the armrest quickly, hoping to throw Phil off his guard by meshing their lips together forcefully. It worked.   
"Here's your drink- oh, sorry!"  
Dan whipped back around to find the lady staring wide eyed with a soda in each hand.   
"Sorry, sorry!" He took the drinks quickly, still chuckling to himself.   
"You two are the cutest, you know that?"  
"Oh yes, I do. He's the cutest boyfriend you've ever seen, isn't he?" Dan drawled sarcastically, looking over to Phil in comical entrancement.  
"Well you're quite the looker yourself," she added almost under her breath.   
Phil popped out of his seat and leaned over Dan. "Oi!"  
Dan and the lady started laughing together.   
"He's harmless, I swear."  
"I am not! I could wrestle a bear and it wouldn't ever come round again!"  
Dan was staring at his boyfriend like he was the actual heart eyes emoji. He reached up to ruffle Phil's short black hair.   
"I love you but the bear would probably have the upper hand in that battle."  
"Aww!" The lady exclaimed   
They parked in the lot at the end of the drive-thru to move all their stuff to the trunk and put the top down on the convertible.   
"Where am I supposed to hang my graduation gown back here? It'll wrinkle!" Phil complained   
"I told you to leave that at home. You got all the use out of it you ever will this morning. Why do you need it?"   
He frowned at the expensive black robe. "To remember everything I've done and where I came from."  
Dan quickly stole the garment from his hands and shoved it behind a suitcase.  
"You've got me for that."  
He followed it with a kiss, one that Phil felt might just last in his memory for ages (not that every moment he had with Dan isn't burned into his memory forever.)  
Dan's lips were warm from the sun, and his tanned stomach was smooth to the touch as Phil's hands glided around it. The light blue lace crop top he was wearing was definitely Phil's favorite, as it reminded him of a lot of things.   
Dan started to deepen the kiss, and meld into Phil, pushing him back into the side of the car. Phil felt a hand gliding a bit lower than it probably should have as his lips opened, a small moan escaping his throat. It was when Phil felt his pants actually being pulled down that he yelped and pulled back.   
"Dan we're in public!" His whole face was red.   
"Look at you. You're blushing! I wasn't going to do much..." He said with a sly grin   
Phil stole a glance in every direction to make sure no one was watching before he reached around and slapped Dan's ass really hard. He giggled to himself evilly as he slammed the trunk closed and ran back to the passenger seat, hearing Dan scream out in mock pain behind him.   
As soon as Dan got in the car, Phil acted as innocent as possible, barely restraining laughter as he slowly buckled his belt.   
"I'll get you for that one day."  
"Sure you will."  
Dan followed the main road to an intersection, which faced directly west.   
They unknowingly slid their sunglasses on perfectly in sync with each other, an instinctive smile forming at the sight of the sunset. The night had successfully woven itself into the day, the ancient lovers finally satisfied, creating a whole new type of sky that was breathtaking to any who saw it.   
"So where are we headed?" Phil ask   
"The whole country, hell even the whole world is in front of us. We can go anywhere we want, and we sure as hell aren't coming back."  
Phil thought for a moment about all the places he wanted to travel (with Dan, of course.)  
From India to America to Paris, even Japan.   
"I know a guy who pulled an internship in London with a radio station that turned into a paying position within weeks. We could start there, you could show me around."  
Dan smiled. "That sounds nice."  
Phil was sure that he'd get to all of his dream destinations eventually, but if he was honest, as long as he was with Dan, it didn't make a difference to him one way or another. The past year had shown him how much he really loved Dan and how willing he would be to follow him anywhere. After Dan told him he loved him, Phil knew what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.   
"Here we go!"  
The light went green, and Dan floored it. Phil threw his arms into the air and felt the 60 kph winds tear all the worries in the world out of his wildly thrashing hair.   
"Woooo!"  
Dan didn't dare steal a glance at Phil away from the road and the speedometer, but he didn't have to. He knew that the radiant beauty and joy that he saw in the sunset that would soon bud into summer in front of him closely resembled the love of his life in the seat next to him, and that was all he needed.

This is where our story ends, with the most cliche "riding off into the sunset" troupe ever. I can tell you that they found themselves some work in London a few days later, and moved up quickly in the world. Phil saw more than a few of the places he wanted to visit, and Dan saw the world in Phil's eyes. But you knew all of that, didn't you?   
Oh, one more thing. Spoiler alert:   
Phil achieved the criteria for doing anything he wanted to Dan. Turns out the one thing he wanted to do most was spend the rest of his life with him.   
Who'd have guessed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy that this is finally finished! I've been working on it for so long now!! Thank you for reading!! I know the side thought thing was weird and it's only 10 chapters but hey. I've got a tumblr if you wanna follow it #spon it's   
> lime-lester   
> And its on wattpad! Over there I'm also, you guessed it,  
> lime-lester  
> Please give me any feedback you have!   
> Bye!!


End file.
